Discover the Best Dessert Classes in NYC
Think about the last time you enjoyed a dessert. You enjoyed it, right? What if you could make it at home?
Dessert making has been around since ancient times. Even the Romans were enjoying ice cream. Cultures around the world have their own dessert traditions, and not all of them are as sweet as the modern day. Many recipes from the past include fruits, nuts, and grains.
Technically speaking, desserts are classified as sweets eaten after a meal. In the U.S., desserts tend to vary by season, for instance pumpkin pie is often served in the fall and pistachio cake is served in the spring around the Easter holiday.
Pâtissiers or pastry chefs are those professionals who have dedicated their time to training and mastering the art and science of dessert making. You don’t have to be a professional to learn how to make good desserts, though. There are plenty of hobbyists and enthusiasts who enjoy the process and eating the fruits of their labor.
Why You Should Learn Dessert Making in NYC
Everyone should have a hobby they enjoy. Dessert making is so sweet you just might find you like it. Not only can it relieve stress and feel productive, it can also bring you into a community of people who like dessert making as much as you do. Attending in-person or online classes to learn offers the opportunity to meet many people you may not have otherwise met.
For those who love taking care of their family and friends, dessert making is almost sure to win you an MVP status among your inner circle. When you take the time to hand make something for a person you care about, it shows you think of them and listen when they’re talking to you.
Aside from being a delicious hobby, dessert making could also be a healthy “side hustle,” new career, or even a full time business venture. There are 34,000 dessert-based businesses in the U.S., and the industry is worth approximately $17 billion. That means there’s plenty of room for another passionate individual (you) to add a creative new business.
If you’re interested in professional training and organizations in the dessert making industry, consider looking into the Institute of Culinary Education, Culinary Institute of America, and American Bakers Association (located in Washington D.C. with virtual events).
If you like to give back to the community, you might enjoy volunteering your newly acquired dessert making skills to organizations like Icing Smiles which makes cakes and other desserts for families with children who have a critical illness. Bake Back America began during the pandemic to serve first responders, essential workers, and those in need with baked goods prepared by volunteers. For Goodness Cakes bakes delicious birthday cakes for youth in underserved areas.
In-Person Dessert Classes & Schools in NYC
New York City is a wonderful place to learn dessert making. With so many in-person classes to choose from, you’ll have the opportunity to ask questions, get hands on, and bond with others who enjoy dessert making, too. Not to mention you’ll have fun blowing off steam and eating your own creations as you learn.
The Brooklyn Kitchen in Sunset Park has roomy studios where they teach dessert making classes like Pie. During the workshop, you’ll learn how to choose the ideal ingredients, prepare and perform pie-making, the technique for creating a perfect pie crust, and even how to present your dessert when it’s done. You’ll get to enjoy your pie crust at the end of class, and take home dough to practice at home.
For those interested in more specific desserts, Atelier Sucré’s Crème Brûlée, Chocolate Mousse & Madeleines class in East Harlem might be a great option. The chef will guide you step-by-step through these classic French desserts. Having traveled all over the world perfecting their dessert-making skills, you’re sure to have a world-class experience. You’ll even get to take home recipes and instructions for how to make these desserts at home - and your own delicious creations, of course.
Atelier Sucré also offers Eclair & Cream Puff, where you’ll discover how these traditional French desserts are made. These light, tasty treats are sophisticated, but the chef will lead you through the dessert making process so you come out with eclairs and cream puffs to be proud of. You’ll also receive instructions and recipes to make at home.
If you love a good donut, Homemade Beignets (French Donuts) by Atelier Sucré might be a great way to spend a couple of hours. You’ll learn the art of baking, frying, and using yeast dough. Plus, you can add homemade fillings (like chocolate) to your beignets for an extra sweet finished dessert.
Make and Take Truffle class by Roni-Sue’s is a must take if you love chocolate. Roni-Sue’s is in Lower East Manhattan, creating delightful organic chocolates and truffles, among other sweet snacks. During the class, you’ll learn about ganache, which is a multi-faceted part of desserts used for anything from cake to chocolate covered strawberries to truffles. Ronni-Sue will show you how to “up your sweets game” as you’re creating your truffle. Plus you get to take home ganache for practicing at home.
NY Cake Academy in the Chelsea area of Manhattan can take a number of cake decorating classes from an award-winning cake decorator. When you take Fondant 101, you’ll learn cake decorating techniques like crumb coating, covering a cake with fondant so it has a smooth professional finish, and how to design a bow and ribbon from fondant. At the end of class, you’ll have a five inch “bow cake” to take home.
Virtual Dessert Classes & Schools
If you prefer to learn from the comfort of your own spaces, there are many virtual dessert making courses you can take that offer a similar live feeling as in-person instruction. You may have to supply your own ingredients and materials, but the wider variety of courses may make up for that. CourseHorse is a great place to begin your search for online dessert classes.
If you love cookies, this Cookie Decorating class by Food Craft may pique your interest. You’ll learn techniques to make cute cookies for all seasons and events. During class, you’ll also learn how to make chocolate glaze for your cookies and cinnamon sugar palmiers. The only thing you’ll need to supply are scissors and paper towels, the rest of the ingredients for class are shipped right to your door after you register for class.
Candy Making: Truffles & Brittle will teach you how to craft dark chocolate truffles and brittle with the mix-ins of your choice. When you sign up for class, you’ll receive many of the ingredients in the mail including peanuts, dark chocolate, hazelnuts, cocoa powder, and a gift card to purchase heavy cream for the truffle-making and/or brittle mix-ins. You’ll need to provide some items you probably already have in your kitchen like sugar, baking soda, and a cookie or baking sheet.
Private Group Dessert Classes in NYC
Do you want to schedule a dessert making class as a fun team-building event for your business or organization? Maybe you’re leading a holiday get together or birthday celebration. CourseHorse has many dessert making classes for private groups in NYC.
Even those with a sweet tooth will be pleased with Candy Making: Truffles & Brittle. Your group will learn to make dark chocolate truffles and brittle with peanuts or other mix-ins. Because the class can accommodate up to 250 people, you’ll have plenty of hand crafted treats to eat and enjoy together.
You’ll need to provide some basic baking ingredients such as sugar, salt, and a baking sheet for the course; however, CourseHorse ships most of the primary ingredients like cocoa powder, dark chocolate, and hazelnuts to each participant, so preparation is simple.
The Virtual Ice Cream Making Workshop might be a great way to spend an hour together and enjoy a crowd favorite dessert. During class, the chef will show you how to make sweet cream ice cream, as well as the ginger ice cream featured in the New York Times. You’ll leave class with basic ice cream making techniques for making your own ice cream at home.
Before the course, each participant receives an ice cream making kit shipped to their door. The kit includes ginger syrup, crystallized ginger, cookies, and bags. Individuals participating in class will need to supply their own milk or cream, sugar, and ice. Up to 100 people can join the Virtual Ice Cream Making Workshop during one class.
CourseHorse private groups offer several helpful benefits, including the ability to customize your experience. There’s a $150 fee, but you can add themes, games, or even additional expert support to make the experience memorable
Private group classes require a minimum of ten people. If you don’t have a final headcount for your group, you can still book with the minimum and update your group information when you know for sure how many people will attend.
There aren’t any booking fees, and within 24 hours, you’ll receive a confirmation of your group. CourseHorse recommends Zoom for the platform, but they can support others, too, if your company has a preferred platform.
Curious to see how classes work? Have additional questions? Reach out to CourseHorse on their website via the contact form to schedule a demo or get answers to your questions.
